In the spirit of victory, the gaming PC itself needs a monitor that will serve as a transcription to the might of a victorious scream. Do not subject yourself to the pain of dreading old tech. This is the time of stunning 4K OLEDs and insane-refresh rates. Confused by so many choices? Take heart, pixel warrior! This guide becomes your utmost arsenal, chockablock with the best gaming monitors across every resolution, every budget, and every battlefield. Ready for visual massacre?
FYI : looking for the best monitors overall? Check out our best desktop monitors guide.
Table of Contents
- Our Criteria
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- Best Overall Pick: LG UltraGear GX7
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- Best Overall Value: Acer XV272U W2BMIIPRX
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- Best Premium Ultrawide : Alienware AW3423DWF
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- Best Budget: Sceptre E255B-FWD240
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- Best for Console: Samsung 43″ Odyssey Neo G7
- Frequently Asked Questions
LG UltraGear GX7
Best Overall Pick
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Acer XV272U W2BMIIPRX
Best Overall Value
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Alienware AW3423DWF
Best Premium Ultrawide
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Sceptre E255B-FWD240
Best Budget
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Samsung 43″ Odyssey Neo G7
Best for Console
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FYI : are gaming monitors too small for you? Check out the best 4K gaming TVs.
Our Criteria
These gaming monitors must go through checks and trials for the actual spot in this list. We’re talking pixel-perfect performance: a screen size so big like to demand attention, resolution sharp enough to cut diamonds, and refresh rates that keep your eyes glued to every action. No, there is more to it; response times, contrast ratios, and brightness levels must be exceptionally high. Let the worthy ones survive.
Panel Type
Leave behind those blurry images and lagging response times! Your monitor’s panel type is the unknown hero-or villain-of your gaming rig. TN panels are basically fast and aggressive: They are built for the fastest reflexes, such speed you just won’t come across anywhere else. IPS and VA panels, the latter-two champions-in their own right, have been creating a nice balance of color and speed for the ordinary gaming fraternity. Wait up! Here goes the new competitor: OLED. The gorgeous sight generated and smartly balanced with its amazingly good response time will surely redefine your gaming experience. However, the downside is that OLED monitors will put a deep hole in your pockets.
Screen Size and Resolution
In terms of display resolution, a high-speed 27-inch 1440p monitor remains supreme. While 1080 displays have their share in eSports and high-efficiency setups, the cheap 4K gaming concept is gaining great momentum nowadays.
Refresh Rate
Can’t you bear those split-second freezes turning your games into slideshows? The solution is pretty straightforward: ditch your 60Hz monitor! A 144Hz or higher monitor will serve you with smooth graphics; it’ll just be quicker in almost every regard. But FreeSync or G-SYNC should follow next in your list of demands. They kill off any screen tearing and stuttering so you get the ultimate, fluid level to the gaming experience. Anything less would be even worse for your eyes and your skills.
Response Time and Input Lag
Pixel response time? Basically, agility: how fast a pixel can switch the color. They are fast–OLEDs even switch practically instantaneously. But, don’t count the IPS and VA panels out: some 4 to 5ms times are real!
That input lag, I tell you, is an infuriating delay between the player’s command and the on-screen action. Lesser lag means win. Greater lag means prepare to rage-quit. In gaming, every millisecond counts.
Brightness, Contrast, and HDR
I disagree. To be truly HDR, it needs to be that trifecta of awareness: peak brightness to sear the eyes, unearthly contrast, and local dimming that virtually erases backlight bleed. A faint remembrance of light and shadow ballet. VA ensures that the brightness levels are high enough, more than IPS, and more than OLED- or so it seems. OLED has no power but has a higher level of perfect blacks. Contrast so deep that it legislates another realm of reality. Select your shaft, I say.
HDR Headaches? Fix Windows’ Ugly HDR and Unleash Stunning Visuals!
Connectivity, Ergonomics, and Design
This adaptive gaming monitor grants the player an infinity of possibilities.A static screen? Ouch! It is all about ergonomic adjustments now: height, tilt, swivel, and rotate. Lose any discomfort as you lock in the perfect view! And now… Imagine a built-in KVM switch balancing multiple devices. One USB hub to feed your next set of peripherals. Power Delivery, demanded for charging your devices. HDMI 2.1, for extreme refresh rates. All wrapped nicely in premium quality, with a splash of customizable RGB flair. This is not just a monitor; it’s your command center to glory.
Tip: depending on your setup, you may need to decide between a curved and flat monitor.
1. Best Overall Pick: LG UltraGear GX7
Ultra-fast gaming performance
Enter late into 2024: the LG UltraGear GX7. The LG UltraGear GX7 coming at the very end of 2024. Never a compromise: just a contemptuous laugh at lag. We call it the best overall gaming monitor, period. Yes, it does have a price, so pay for those visuals that roll so easy that the current one for “smoothness” will seem alien to you. LG claims to have a blistering fast 480Hz refresh rate-the fastest QHD OLED display you can buy. Witness the dawn of gaming.
A 27-inch canvas for vivid imagery to abound with customizable hues and luminous energy. Push your battle station with this choice of design for ergonomic tinkering. There is no 4K resolution to boast of, but one will surely find the allure in a compromise between blistering speed and responsive performance.
The LG monitor makes your game visuals explode on an anti-glare screen with FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-SYNC compatibility. Lose yourself in really deep blacks, thanks to a contrast ratio of 1.5 million to 1; your immersion is covered for worry-free use under a two-year warranty.
Pros
- Incredibly fast performance
- Immersive screen size
- Anti-glare technology
- Versatile stand
Cons
- Lacks 4K resolution
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2. Best Overall Value: Acer XV272U W2BMIIPRX
Feature-packed, blazing-fast, and high-res display for a great price
Want buttery smooth gameplay without draining your money? The Acer XV272U W2BMIIPRX monitor is the sweet spot. Imagine this-to 27-inch vibrant IPS display 240 Hz refresh rate, and crisp 1440p resolution. So the translation is: Lightning speed and razor-sharp details stitched into a single immersive package. Those shooters, with intel highs of over 200 FPS, are going to be a shock. This screen doesn’t just compete with it; it eclipses it!
Silky gameplay with a buttery finish. 0.5ms response time and FreeSync Premium make any cinematic and high-FPS gameplay a visual treat. But the fun does not end there! Give your setup an ergonomic height adjustment and integrated speakers worthy of immersion, all at a price so tempting, you’ll want to double-check the specs. Be prepared for the wow moment.
Pros
- 1440p high-res IPS panel
- Outstanding 240Hz refresh rate
- 0.5ms response time
- Large screen size
- Adjustable stand
Cons
- Potential flickering issues
- Non-existent HDR
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3. Best Premium Ultrawide : Alienware AW3423DWF
High-end OLED gaming for a premium
In search of gaming nirvana with no consideration for cost? Then step into your express portal: Alienware AW3423DWF. Gaze upon that QD-OLED ultrawide screen-the response times lay to rest, while contrasts explode with vibrant colors. It is much more than a monitor; it is a sublime portal to sheer gaming ecstasy.
Impressive at its near-flawless HDR gaming and steep curve, specs on this 34-inch beast just scream performance: spectacular 165Hz refresh rate, daylight bright 1000 nits, and FreeSync Premium Pro for tear-off gaming. The savior for your deserving gamer who demands all the high-level HDR experience.
Pros
- Breathtaking 34-inch curved panel
- QD-OLED goodness
- Futuristic design
- 1000-nit peak HDR brightness
- 165Hz refresh rate is great for the resolution
- Lightning-fast response time
Cons
- PPI isn’t great for non-gaming use
- Expensive, even after discounts
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FYI : need some curved display gaming in your life? Check out the best curved monitor for every budget.
4. Best Budget: Sceptre E255B-FWD240
Affordable and ultra-fast Full HD gaming monitor
Are you a budget gamer looking to buy one? Say goodbye to the dream of emptying your bank account on a decent display! Sceptre’s E255B-FWD240 stands tall as your champion for fine core gaming performance sans the financial knock-out punch. It is “only” 1080p, but on a 24-inch VA panel, it just pops! The real magic? A blistering-fast 240Hz refresh rate coupled with lightning-fast 1ms response time. Screen tearing and lag will be long gone!
For about a hundred-fifty to two hundred bucks, one better consider this not to be just another monitor but to be the most premium experience one might ever want for gaming. Imagine tear-free gaming by FreeSync Premium, immersive sound from speakers borne within the monitor, and a design that specifies taste upside down. Now, set yourself down and be dazzled by that screen, rated at greater brightness than what one would expect for that cheap price.
Pros
- 240Hz refresh rate
- 370 nits brightness
- High-contrast VA panel
- Fast response time
- Height adjustable stand
Cons
- Poor speakers
- 1080p resolution
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5. Best for Console: Samsung 43″ Odyssey Neo G7
Huge Mini LED gaming monitor for immersive console gaming
Couch kings and queens, behold! Imagine sprawling across your throne, eyes glued to a colossal screen where worlds explode in vibrant detail. The Samsung 43″ Odyssey Neo G7 is not merely a monitor, but a portal through which to travel. Forget clunky TVs and embrace a display that fuses cinematic immersion with the lightning-fast reflexes your games demand. Full 4K, Mini LED, and HDR splendor, plus a sword-sharp 1ms response time means not even a millisecond of your twitch will bypass pixel-perfect conversion. Get ready to lose yourself.
With a 144Hz refresh rate and FreeSync Premium Pro for tear-free gaming, this Samsung smart monitor gives you a viewing experience well beyond that of your PS5 or Xbox Series X. Cloud gaming and streaming flow seamlessly on this vibrant screen, uplifting the restrictions of console gaming.
Pros
- Large 43″ screen for console gaming
- Brilliant Mini LED-powered HDR gaming
- 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time
- 600+ nits brightness
Cons
- Sluggish software experience
- Too big for a desk setup
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check or change a monitor’s refresh rate?
Experiencing sluggishness on your screen? Give Windows 11 a jolt of adrenaline! Just hit a rightclick anywhere on your desktop and selectDisplay settings>Advanced display>Choose a refresh rate. It unfolds a secret menu consisting of refresh rates from very high to very low, depending on which the monitor will actually run; keep it high for fluidity and low for power saving. Not quite sure what your monitor can fight? Try checking with an online refresh rate tester. You might be surprised at the surge in performance lying behind!
Can I change a monitor’s resolution to a higher or lower value?
Does your Windows 11 screen look a little strange on you? You’re all good with blurred icons and stretched images! A mere resolution setting change, and it’s like pink skies again. Go ahead and rightclick on an empty space on the desktop. From here, openDisplay Settings, then locateDisplay Resolution. It will bring up a secret menu of supported resolutions! Usually, Windows prefers the right pick for your monitor, but feel free to choose based on what looks best toyou. Your eyes (and productivity) will thank you!
What’s the difference between AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-SYNC?
The interpretation of affiliated with a phrase is inescapable as we rely on it. These include “HDMI,” “DVI,” “gaming;”” bitane LEC panel.””
If you are going for a gaming monitor: FreeSync from AMD can be considered a free software for scaling and freely available. G-SYNC from Nvidia is a proprietary technology geared for Nvidia GPUs. Real hardware G-SYNC monitors are rare to find; however, FreeSync and G-SYNC Compatible monitors are everywhere, smoother gameplay at cheaper prices.
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